


Lead Me to the Stars

by lologoblens



Series: Starry Eyed [2]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Companion Piece, F/F, Feelings, Magical Realism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:40:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25672228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lologoblens/pseuds/lologoblens
Summary: Companion piece to 'You Make Me See Stars'Catra's perspective on several conversations that help lead her to AdoraHighly recommend reading the multi-chap fic first, this isn't much of a stand alone
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Series: Starry Eyed [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860961
Comments: 33
Kudos: 211





	Lead Me to the Stars

###  **Double Trouble**  
{Chapter 3, Plumeria}

“Order up.” Catra calls, grabbing the customer’s attention. Adora’s attention.

She walks closer and looks down at the drink and then back to Catra. “What um, what’s in it?” Her voice is a little breathy when she asks, Catra ignores the way it makes her heart race.

Catra laughs, that’s not how this works. Preconceived notions lead to assumptions, assumptions ruin things. Catra knows that better than most. “Try it first, if you like it, I’ll tell you.”

Adora hums, giving her a funny look. “They seemed to think that was a given.” She nods her head in DT’s direction.

Catra laughs, she’s not wrong. Not just about what DT said, Catra knows she’s gonna like it. But still she says, “Well there’s always a first time, exception proves the rule, right?”

Adora looks at the drink, clearly wary. Catra’s bemused, does she think she snuck a snake into the latte. Why is she so hesitant? Eventually she reaches out a hand, which shakes slightly, and tries the drink. Catra doesn’t exactly make a habit of staring at customers when they try a drink, but Adora is mesmerizing. She closes her eyes and her face twists into a nostalgic smile.

“So?” Catra prompts, feeling impatient.

Adora blinks like Catra’s just woken her from a really good nap. “Perfect.” 

Catra grins in answer. That’s exactly what she likes to hear. “Well, glad to keep my streak going. It’s just an oat milk latte with a pump of our house made toffee syrup and medium roast espresso. You know, if you want one and I’m not here or whatever.” Catra shrugs, feigning nonchalance as she tries to gauge the odds of ever seeing this person again. 

“And if you are?” The words are rushed but make Catra grin all the same. 

She looks Adora in the eye. “Order the special again, after all some days you just… need something a little different, you know?” Adora nods slowly. 

“Thanks for the coffee.” Catra ignores the sinking of her heart as she realizes this goofy blonde is about to leave. It shouldn’t be a big deal; she’s never been in before so there’s a good chance Catra will never see her again. Her sinking heart is dumb and so is she. But still, she lets the litter sliver of hope that slices through her heart live on.

“Sure thing, have a good day.” Then, unable to resist the urge to flirt one last time she adds, “Adorable”

Innocent as a rose, and maybe a little dazed, Adora says back softly, “Yeah…yeah, you too.” And then she’s gone. 

Catra busies herself cleaning up the bar, so absorbed in her task she doesn’t notice DT sidle up next to her. She jumps when they speak. “Hey Kitty Cat, couldn’t help but overhear…whatever that was.”

She turns to scowl at them. “Shut up DT, and don’t sneak up on me like that! You know I hate that shit.”

They just laugh. “Oh darling, you’re even easier to rile up that usual.”

“Remind me why I hired you again? You were a terrible roommate, foolish of me to think you’d make a better employee.” She doesn’t really mean it, there’s no bark to her bite. Well, actually the part about them being a terrible roommate she does, but for the most part they’re a good employee and friend. And she knows it won’t phase them. 

“Please Kitten- “

“Would you _stop_ calling me that?”

“Hmm, no.” She huffs and resumes her task, effectively giving them the cold shoulder. They carry on regardless. “I’ve never seen you so instantly smitten before.”

“I’m not smitten!” She throws her hands up and coffee ground fly from her rag. 

“ _Please!_ Adorable? I think someone has a little crush.”

“Whatever, even if you _did_ have a point it’s not like I’m ever gonna see her again.” Catra scowls, unwilling to admit how much that fucking bums her out.

“Well, I wouldn’t be so sure.” She cocks an eyebrow at them. “Sweetheart, could you really not tell? So hopeless. Well…let’s just say I didn’t get the impression you were the _only_ one who was smitten.”

They wander away, apparently deciding they’ve stirred the pot enough for now. Catra tries her best to not think about the implications of their words. She’s not very successful. 

###  **Scorpia**  
{Chapter 13, The mall}

Catra swears, if she has to spend one more minute in this stupid fucking mall, she’s gonna lose it. She’s found what she’s looking for but, no matter how many times Scorpia holds up the different sizes, she can’t guess Bow’s. 

“Maybe just call Adora?” Scorpia suggests.

Catra looks at her warily, trying to figure out if there’s any double meaning there. Sensing none she grumbles, “Fine, whatever gets us _out_ of here.”

“After Auntie Anne’s.” Scorpia reminds her.

Catra pulls up Adora’s contact, rolling her eyes. “Yes, I know. We won’t leave without getting you your damned pretzel.”

“Thanks Wildcat, you’re the best!”

The line rings a couple times then, “Catra?” Adora answers, sounding surprised.

“Hey, what size is Crop Top?” Catra continues flipping through shirts, trying to tune out Scorpia who’s struck up a conversation with one of the sales people.

“Uh…what?” Adora sounds utterly baffled. Why on earth does she think Catra’s calling. She thinks it should be obvious, the party is tomorrow. 

“Crop Top, your best friend? Tall, dark, handsome if you’re into that sort of thing.”

“Sorry, what sort of thing?” Catra rolls her eyes.

“Dudes Adorable, try and keep up.”

“Yeah, no way of that happening now. I’m so lost.”

Catra groans, some part of her feels a little bad about her impatience but she _needs_ to get out of this place. “What size shirt does Bow wear?” She enunciates it slowly.

“Oh, a medium, I think. Why?” 

“You do know it’s your best friend’s birthday tomorrow, right?” Catra huffs.

“Yeah…”

“Alright Princess, I am genuinely concerned for you at this point.” 

Scorpia has snuck up on her at some point and asks, “Oh no, is something wrong?”

“No, Scorp she’s fine. She’s just being a dumbass.”

“Oh, what’s up?” Scorpia frowns at her.

“I don’t _know Scorp_.”

“Right, sorry. Well did you get Bow’s size?”

“Medium, yeah. But I haven’t decided-” She starts to feel flustered trying to balance the two conversations. With a huff she snaps, “Oh for heaven’s sake Scorp just gimme like, one second.” She addresses Adora again. “What is _up_ with you today?”

Adora sighs. “Work.”

“Ahh, gotcha.” It all makes sense now. “When are you leaving that shit show again?”

“Just as soon as drawing in my sketchbook gets me a 401k that matches five percent of my contribution.” It’s not the first time they’ve had this conversation. Catra just can’t let it go, it’s obvious Adora is miserable at her job, 401k or not. She wishes Adora would pursue her art, it’s fucking amazing, or at least _something_ she was even vaguely passionate about. She’s really too pragmatic for her own good. “What are you two _doing_ right now?”

Catra rolls her eyes again. “Shopping obviously.”

“Obviously.”

“Oh my goddess Adorable, for gifts? You know, traditionally given to someone on their birthday.” 

“Aw, that’s so sweet! Bow will be touched. What did you get?” Does she not remember just giving Catra Bow’s size? “I mean I guess probably a shirt but…” 

“Good guess Sherlock, listen I gotta go.” She looks up to see Scorpia, a few displays over now, waving her arms like a lunatic. “Scorpia keeps trying to mime shit to me and if I don’t get out of this mall soon, I’m gonna lose it.”

Adora laughs, even trapped in this hellscape the sound makes Catra’s heat do that stupid fluttering shit. “Ugh, malls. Yeah, get out of there. I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“You bet.” She tries to communicate to Scorpia that whatever she’s trying to say is not getting through.

“You working in the morning?”

“Nah, off all day. Swing by if you want though, Lonnie will know to hook it up.”

“Catra that’s really not necessary.” This again, Catra really wishes Adora would stop arguing about this. 

“I am so not having this conversation right now. I need a fucking Orange Julius.”

“Didn’t they go under ages ago? I thought someone else bought them out or something.”

Catra grunts under her breath. She’d been trying to forget that, holding out hope. “Just let me live in my early 2000’s fantasy world, will ya Princess?”

“Right, right. Sorry, have a good rest of your mall. I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye Dora.” She hangs up and Scorpia bounds over.

“So?”

“So, Bow’s a medium.” Scorpia gives her a look. “I think I’m gonna get the cropped sweater, pretty sure he said something about them being hard to find.” Scorpia rolls her eyes but doesn’t press it, at least not then. They get out of the store quickly after that and head to the food court. Scorpia runs off to get her soft pretzel and Catra pouts at the lack of Orange Julius. She sends Adora a goofy selfie about it and then resigns herself to a soft pretzel of her own. She knows she’ll want one if she watches Scorpia eat hers.

They get their food and settle in at a table, digging in. “So…how’s Adora?”

Catra isn’t fooled by the forced lightness in her friend’s voice. “What?”

“I’m just asking- “

“No,” she says sternly, “you’re not just anything. Ask what you wanna ask or drop it.”

“Fine, you got me there! I’m just saying, seems like maybe the time has come, don’t you think?”

“’The time has come’” Catra parrots back. “Sounds ominous.”

“You know what I mean Wildcat. How much longer are you gonna wait to make a move.”

She did know what Scorpia meant. She also did _not / _really want to talk about this in the middle of some crummy food court. She also didn’t know if she could stand _not_ talking about this a second longer. So, she bites. “I dunno Scorp…you really think it’s a good idea?”__

__“Catra come on, you two clearly have chemistry. It’s off the charts!”_ _

__“I mean _I_ think so, but sometimes…”_ _

__“Sometimes?”_ _

__“Fuck Scorpia, sometimes we’re totally vibing and I think Adora’s totally into it too, and then she gets all squirrely and shuts it down. I don’t really want to get rejected. Not by Adora.” Just the thought of it shoots a pang through her heart. She’s too invested already; she doesn’t know how she let this happen. Something about Adora just makes it hard to keep her guard up, and the worst part is she _likes_ that about her. Talk about dangerous…._ _

__“I mean, I can totally understand why you’d be nervous, don’t get me wrong. I just really don’t think it’s gonna be an issue. I mean, the way that woman looks at you, whew!” Scorpia fans herself with an empty pretzel bag._ _

__“You really think so?” Catra asks, hating how insecure she feels._ _

__“Now why would I lie to my very best friend in the whole wide world?”_ _

__Catra grins hesitantly. “Hey Scorp, sorry…for getting snappy at you before, in the store I mean.”_ _

__Scorpia waves off the apology. “I appreciate that Wildcat, but I wasn’t taking it personally.”_ _

__“But still, I should be nicer to you…” She looks down to the table top, ashamed at having slipped into an old pattern of behavior. She knows better._ _

__Scorpia reaches a hand over to hold one of Catra’s and waits until she looks back up. “Hey, we’re past this, right? You’re a good friend. I know we had a rocky start; you weren’t always as nice to me as you should have been, and I wasn’t exactly mindful of your boundaries. That doesn’t mean you can’t have bad days _now_. You’re a good and true friend,” She shrugs, “I don’t need you to be perfect. But I do appreciate you acknowledging your behavior.”_ _

__Catra’s throat feels thick with emotion. “I swear to every goddess Scorp if you make me cry in this food court…” She threatens half-heartedly._ _

__Scorpia chuckles and raises her hands in surrender, picking up her second pretzel and tearing it into pieces. “Fair! Well, what about what we were talking about before? Adora?”_ _

__“Yeah…yeah I think you’re right. If I keep twiddling my thumbs, I’m just gonna drive myself crazy, right?” Scorpia nods, her mouth full of pretzel. “Right. So…what should I do, just like…ask her out?”_ _

__Scorpia nods, swallowing thickly. “Yeah, I think so. You could ask her tonight! Party could be a good place for that, a little liquid courage in your system can’t hurt.”_ _

__“Right…yeah. At the party…” Catra doesn’t hear what Scorpia says next. She’s too busy imagining all the way this could go wrong and all the ways it could go very, very right._ _

###  **Rogelio**  
{Chapter 15, Plumeria}

Catra is finalizing receipts in the till. She and Rogelio just finished a major rush, so she has a fair amount to catch up on. It takes a couple minutes but she’s getting close to the bottom of the stack. She looks up when she hears a familiar voice from the door. “But _still_.” Bow gasps dramatically, addressing Glimmer and Adora. She’s not surprised to see them, they’re probably hungover as hell. She is too to be fair; she wouldn’t even be here if Kyle hadn’t woken up puking. She already wasn’t totally sold on that hire. Rolling out of bed at five in the morning after a night of tequila and Adora had only served to make her _less_ sure. “Maybe Catra’s right!”

“What am I right about this time?” Catra calls over, already feeling smug. Adora’s face jerks toward her so fast Catra wouldn’t be surprised if it gave her whiplash. She looks surprised to see Catra there. Good. The element of surprise always makes keeping the upper hand easier, and Catra generally prefers to be on top. While they make their way to the counter Catra turns to Rogelio, who is by the espresso machine recalibrating the grind after making so many drinks. 

She catches his eye in the angled mirror above the bar, “I told you they’d show up at some point.” She signs.

He turns to face her, taking note of the newcomers, and smirking he signs back, “Are you happier about being right, or about getting to see your girl? I hear you finally made a move last night, hope that puts an end to some of the pining.”

She laughs loudly, Ro’s always been direct, which Catra both always appreciates and occasionally loathes. “Hey watch it bud. It’s my fucking shop, I can pine here all I want. Now, go take your lunch before I get smart and fire you.” She gives him a stern expression they both know he won’t take to heart. Ro rolls his eyes and waves her off. He turns to the group, they finally made it to the till, and gives them a quick wave before heading to the back.

They wave back and Bow launches right in enthusiastically. Laughing, he says, “Oh, Adora got her same spot again and I’m just saying, maybe she _is_ a princess! Like, some mythical, bad ass princess with magic powers.”

Catra laughs and makes to attempt to curb her urge to tease Adora. “Wow Adora, glad to see you’re using your powers for good. Be a shame to let them go to waste.” Then she smirks, seeing an opportunity. Hungover or not she can’t resist needling Adora about the showcase. Besides, she probably didn’t even bother to tell her friends and Catra is sure she can get them in her camp. “Speaking of letting things go to waste…you remember I told you the showcase is ending soon?”

____

###  __**Scorpia**  
{Chapter 15, Catra’s Car}_ _

_  
_

__Adora drives off in her stupid gay pickup truck and Catra groans, hitting her head against the steering wheel for good measure. What a disaster. Never mind the terrible news that had closed out their evening, Catra feared the date had been sunk before that stupid movie even started. Okay…it wasn’t stupid, she’d actually really liked it, but that wasn’t the _point_. The point is, she’d been so relieved to finally get somewhere with Adora, so hopeful that they were getting to a place where they could acknowledge whatever was going on between them. Then Adora had spent the whole night sending her mixed signals. It was like driving, coming to a traffic light and realizing both the red and green lights were lit. The smart thing to do would be to wait, play it safe. But Catra wanted to fucking _get_ somewhere. _ _

__Unable to sit with her internal monologue any longer she snatches her phone from her back pocket. It barely rings once before she gets an answer. “Hey, hey Wildcat! How are you? Oh my gosh is Adora there? No probably not, no reason to be calling ol’ Scorpia if she were! Well, how was it?”_ _

__Scorpia pauses for breath and Catra groans to fight back the urge to cry. “Fucking awful.”_ _

__There’s a long pause then, “Oh. Catra…what, what happened? I thought…well I thought that…”_ _

__Catra laughs humorlessly. “Yeah, me too. Apparently _Adora_ thought it wasn’t even a date though! And that’s not even the worst part!”_ _

__“Uh-oh.”_ _

__Another dry laugh. “Yeah, you’re not fucking kidding. I mean, goddess above Scorp, I don’t even know where to start. The crash landing or the fucking explosion that burned away anything salvageable!” She knows she should take some deep breaths, try to reign in the storm of emotions raging inside of her. She doesn’t._ _

__“Well…that…that sounds bad. Why don’t you just take me through it chronologically.”_ _

__“Okay, okay yeah.” Catra agrees, feeling slightly less overwhelmed with some direction. “Well, so she gets there and it’s chill. But then I pay for her ticket, you know trying to play it smooth, and she gets all weird about it and insists on getting food. So, I’m like okay, is this a signal or is she just weird about people paying for her? But I let it go, figuring if she’s more comfortable going Dutch that’s totally chill. So, we get food and go into the theatre and it’s great, we’re just joking around, whatever. Then during the movie, she got all weird, and I thought she was just uncomfortable. The stupid arm rest was digging in her side, so I like, move it out of the way. Then, because I’m the world’s biggest _idiot_ \- “_ _

__“Hey! Don’t talk about my friend Catra like that!”_ _

__Catra ignores her and continues, “I decide _that’s_ the time to make a move. I didn’t even fucking think before I did it either! Nothing crazy, I just rest my head on her shoulder. And, I don’t know Scorp, it was just weird…confusing. She didn’t shift away or anything, but she also didn’t relax for like, _the rest_ of the movie. I don’t even think she paid attention to it! But I’m resting there, and I don’t want to move away because what if that makes it even _more_ weird? So, I’m just frozen there. Also, she was like, _really_ warm and you know how cold that fucking theatre gets. And it felt _so good_ to be close to her like that, gods Scorp I just wanted to…I just want, ugh! She’s so stupid hot. So anyway, it’s confusing but like, it’s whatever and we were doing dinner after, and I think like, we’ll be able to talk then and maybe that will clear things up a little more. So, we leave and I take her to the truck.”_ _

__“Aw, was Rosa there? How is she?” Scorpia coos, distracted._ _

__“Yeah, she’s good, she says hi to you and Perfuma. Wanted me to tell you to swing by soon.”_ _

__“Wow, what an angel. That Rosalinda, she is good people, ya know? But sorry, sorry you were saying.”_ _

__“Right, so I take her to the truck and chat to Rosa and am feeling a little more relaxed in that space. So, I’m like okay, lets test the waters one more time. And I flirt with her a little and she practically implodes! But of course, she’s _Adora_ , so even while she’s being super confusing, she’s also so…so…ugh! She’s amazing, I hate it.” Catra stops short, remembering Adora all flustered, her cheeks turning pink…_ _

__“So…was that the worst of it?” Scorpia ventures tentatively._ _

__Catra laughs darkly. “Not even close.”_ _

__“Uh-oh.”_ _

__“Yeah, so I dive in about the art thing, because like, what the fuck. Here we are and she _clearly_ doesn’t even think we’re on a date, but like, she showed me Scorp. She showed _me_ but didn’t bother to show her _best friends_? What is that, like what does that even mean, y’know? Especially if she…she doesn’t even want me.” Catra’s voice breaks a little bit and she hates herself for it. She doesn’t _do_ this; she doesn’t turn herself inside out over girls who aren’t even interested. “And then she turns around and she’s so sweet and vulnerable with me and I…ugh!”_ _

__“Hey, you don’t know that.” Scorpia ventures softly._ _

__Catra takes her head off the wheel to slouch into her seat. “Don’t know what?”_ _

__“Catra, I think she’s into you, I really do. There could be a million reasons she acted that way. Maybe she was worried _you_ didn’t mean for it to be a date. Adora’s clearly the cautious type.”_ _

__“What?” Catra feels her hackles rising. “But I’m the one who- “_ _

__“But did you say it was a date? Explicitly I mean.”_ _

__Catra freezes and thinks back to their conversations leading up to tonight. She deflates. “I mean…I guess not. But…I thought we were vibing, you know? I thought she…”_ _

__“Catra, Adora is a total sweetheart but haven’t you noticed she’s…”_ _

__“What?” Catra questions defensively._ _

__“Nothing bad! Not really, it just seems like she can be…a little oblivious. Especially about feelings stuff. Not unlike someone else I know actually…”_ _

__“Shut up. But…I mean yeah, you’re sort of right. But come on! Dinner and a movie? What says ‘date’ more than dinner and a movie?”_ _

__“I dunno Wildcat, I’m just saying; I wouldn’t give up hope until you have a frank conversation. Is there a reason you didn’t make your intentions clear tonight?”_ _

__Another dark laugh. “Oh, yeah. So, we’re talking about the art thing, right?”_ _

__“Right.”_ _

__“And then in the middle she gets a call. And like, she’s polite about it, no big deal. They call once and she ignores it but then it goes off again. So, it’s her sister and she seemed concerned that she was calling. So, of course I tell her to answer it. Her fucking grandma is sick Scorpia! Like, she’s gonna go home to see her because she might not get another chance kind of sick. We’re on this fucking maybe date and then…ugh! And I feel so terrible and selfish because _of course_ that takes precedence. And I was more than happy to sit with her after she got the news, my heart breaks for her. But also…I’m still just really…disappointed.”_ _

__Scorpia is silent for a moment and Catra focuses on her breathing, finally making an effort to calm down. “Catra…oh, Catra. _Oh_ , and poor Adora! Okay, well your feelings are totally valid Wildcat. You have room enough inside of your heart to hold space for both, and so much more. Don’t give yourself such a hard time.”_ _

__Catra takes a couple more deep breaths. “Yeah…yeah, okay. Thanks, Scorp…. Um…there was one other thing though.”_ _

__“Oh boy, what’s going on Wildcat?”_ _

__Catra’s voice is small when she answers. “She asked me to go with her.”_ _

__She can almost _feel_ Scorpia hold her breath, her own lungs constricting until Scorpia lets out a sigh. “That’s…wow, that’s big Catra. How did…how do you feel about that?”_ _

__Catra lets out a shaky breath. “I’m not sure…I mean, confused mostly. I said I would, and I will if she asks. But I told her to sleep on it and let me know. I imagine she’ll end up asking Bow or Glimmer honestly.” She tries to keep the subtle woundedness she feels out of her voice. She knows it’s not really fair. “It…I was just really surprised but I think she was just panicking. She was freaking out about going alone, well I think she was freaking out about a lot of things honestly, but she just kept saying she couldn’t face it alone. So, I suggested she ask someone to go with her and…I swear _she_ looked surprised when she asked.”_ _

__“Do you…do you _want_ to go? Clearly, you’re willing, but what do you want?”_ _

__“Is it…is it fucked up if I say yes?”_ _

__“ _Of course_ not!”_ _

__“It’s not like I think it’s gonna be some fun vacay, you know? Like it could really suck, and I know it’s gonna be really emotional. But I just want…I want to, I don’t know!”_ _

__“To take care of her.” Scorpia says gently._ _

__With that Catra can take no more. She lets herself cry softly, there in the privacy of her car. “I…Scorpia what if I fall in love with her and she won’t let me?” She hurries to add, “I mean I’m _not_ saying I’m in love with Adora now but…I-I’m scared that she won’t let me love her. And…and I’m afraid that I’m already falling, with or without her.” She sits in her car, crying softly until she wears herself out, listening to Scorpia’s soothing voice in the other end of the line._ _

__

____

###  __**Mara**  
{Chapter 16, Hope and Mara’s Garden}_ _

_  
_

__Catra is still in awe and her heart feels more tender than she’s allowed in a very long time. _The stars_ , she still can barely believe it. After her Abuela and her parents died, and Catra was sent to bounce around the foster system, she never dared imagine that she’d meet anyone else who could see them. It was such a lonely time, a long lonely time. She used to lie in her bed at night and imagine all the places they might have been throughout her day; hopping alongside the bunnies at the park, around the toy that fell out of her cereal bowl, anywhere she could imagine the magic may have been._ _

__When she got older, she stopped her bedtime routine as magic got harder and harder to believe in. By the time she had been with Weaver for a year she’d filed away the memories in the deep recesses of her mind. It didn’t matter anyway, to this day she remained confident; there was not a speck of magic in that house. Weaver was a black hole, sucking away every star that dared come close to her. She beat out any stars lingering inside of Catra, the ones she hadn’t acknowledged since she was very small. By the time she was and adult, and free, she wasn’t sure she believed in _love_ anymore, let alone magic._ _

__She’d worked really hard to be better than Weaver told her she was. She’d done a good job, thanks in no small part to the good people who had found her and helped her along the way. They’d loved her, and she’d learned to let them, learned to recognize the stirrings of love in her own heart. And as the love came back, the magic followed slowly. How could it not? How could Catra possibly love her friends and not see magic in the way Scorpia crafted love spells from flowers and pastry? In the way that Perfuma could find goodness in any living thing, nurturing it until they believed in themself again? She’d done it for Catra, and now she had the joy of existing in a space surrounded by the fruit of Perfuma’s labors of love. The plants in the shop are a living breathing reminder of all the goodness and love inside of her friend, she’s forever grateful._ _

__When the ground felt solid under her feet again, she remembered her Abuela’s stars. She didn’t look for them again, didn’t fall asleep imagining where Abuela would have seen them lingering. But from time to time she thought of them, and the thought never failed to make her feel whole, loved and safe. So, when Adora…she sighs and looks around Hope and Mara’s garden. She wonders absently how many stars Adora and Abuela would be able to see here, in the softly swaying flowers. She swings the bench lightly, she’d lingered out here after Adora left her to take a quick shower, not ready to leave the peace of this place. She looks up when she hears the sliding door open._ _

__Mara walks out, smiling at her as their eyes meet. She walks over and plops down on the other side of the bench. “Hey Pal, what’re you up to out here?”_ _

__Catra shrugs. “The garden is really beautiful.”_ _

__“Hey, thanks.” Mara nudges Catra’s shoulder with her own. “I couldn’t help but notice; looks like you’re thinking pretty hard. Anything up?”_ _

__Catra side eyes her and then chuckles. “You are such a big sister.”_ _

__Mara laughs, throwing her head back. She shrugs, “Just training for all the mom stuff I guess.”_ _

__Catra nods. They sit in silence for a minute, Mara making no move to prompt her further but leaving the floor open if she wants to share. Catra lets out a shaky breath. “Adora told me about the stars.”_ _

__Mara freezes, “What?”_ _

__“Mm-hmm.” Catra confirms, misreading Mara’s shock she assumes Mara is just surprised Adora had shared it with her. She figured it made sense, they really hadn’t known each other a terribly long time. Technically Adora hadn’t even totally wanted to. “Yeah, I-I had no idea. And it’s like some weird cosmic joke or-or sign. I was telling Adora, my Abuela could see them. She died when I was really little, but she used to talk about it _all the time_. The world is just a funny place, you know?”_ _

__Mara unclenches slightly but still doesn’t relax fully. “I-I didn’t realize that was…still a thing.” She says tightly._ _

__Now it’s Catra’s turn to freeze. “Oh.” _Fuck_ , she wonders absently how many times she’s gonna out Adora to her loved ones before she learns her lesson. First the art thing with her friends, now this?_ _

__Mara turns to her with wide eyes. “I-I mean when she was a _kid_ but…the last time she said anything about it to me she must have been…goddess she must have been _fifteen_.”_ _

__“Oh.” Catra frowns. She hesitates before she goes on, not sure she should indulge this conversation further. But she figures if she’s already headed for hell she might as well be thorough. “Well I guess…sounds like she didn’t see them for a long time. Um, I think she said meeting Glimmer was the first time in…a long time.”_ _

__“ _Shit_.” Mara cradles her head in her hands, elbows resting on her knees. “I _knew_ , ugh I knew I fucked up with that, but I never thought…. And of course, they’re really…” She sighs deeply._ _

__Catra waits a minute then asks, “Um, Mara are you okay?”_ _

__Mara shakes her head then sits up a little more to look at Catra, dropping her hands between her knees. “Yes and no I just…. I’m surprised, I guess? Adora, she used to talk about the stars all the time as a kid, barely shut up about them. Razz always egged her on too. But then…I don’t know, she got older and she _still_ …I thought it was a kid thing, you know? I never meant to…well even if it was, I shouldn’t have done what I did, she went through so much….”_ _

__Catra’s barely following along. “Sorry, but what the fuck are you saying?”_ _

__Mara blinks at her a couple times then chuckles slightly. “Right, sorry I’m rambling. Goddess I sound like Adora, don’t I?”_ _

__Catra laughs loudly at that. “I mean, honestly? Yeah.”_ _

__Mara laughs too. “Geez, I’m just realizing maybe I hurt Adora more than I ever realized. See, when she was still seeing them as she got older, she told me people were giving her shit for it. And well, I shouldn’t have done it, but I pretty much shut her down. I thought I was helping, you know? I thought maybe something about being bounced around homes and losing Razz for so long there made her want to hold onto something she was too old for. I didn’t believe her, and I encouraged her to drop it._ _

__“I still think about it sometimes; Hope and I have talked about it a lot actually. About how even if it _was_ a weird trauma response thing, holding onto a piece of her childhood, the last thing she needed was to have someone she trusted be integral in taking it away from her before she was ready. It never even crossed my mind that they might…come back or-or be _real_.”_ _

__Catra nods slowly. “What do you think now?”_ _

__“I think…I think Adora is a really smart kid. And I think if she says something is real, she’s never given me any reason to doubt her. I also…well Adora was just a kid but really, so was I. There’s a lot of things I’ve learned since, a lot that I’ve needed to _unlearn_ , that make the idea of that kind of magic seem…much more feasible.”_ _

__Catra laughs dryly. “Yeah, I can relate to that.”_ _

__“So, they’re really back, huh?”_ _

__“Yeah, um…I kind of saw them actually. It’s incredible.”_ _

__The shock is evident on Mara’s face. “You saw… _Adora’s_ stars?”_ _

__Catra reaches back to rub her neck awkwardly. “Um, yeah. Well, when we kissed, they um…”_ _

__Smirking Mara nods. “Gotcha, so it was pretty wild then?”_ _

__“Like nothing I could have imagined.” Mara hums and they sit swinging in silence for a while. Catra starts to think the conversation is done when, from the corner of her eye, she sees Mara smirk again._ _

__“Well hot damn, imagine what it’ll be like if you two fuck.”_ _

__Catra is still blushing when Adora finds them there ten minutes later._ _  



End file.
